Return of the Evil Dead

Alternate titles : Return of the Blind Dead, El Attaque de los Muertos Som Ojos, Attack of the Blind Dead, Blind Dead 2.

Tagline : "Scream... so they can hear you!"

Amando DeOssorio's followed up the success of his "Tombs of the Blind Dead" with this highly enjoyable, action filled rumpus, in which the undead Templar Knights return, this time to attack a small Portuguese town (and before you ask, no the title does NOT have anything to do with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy, so don't expect Bruce Campbell to be appearing).

Starting off with a prologue, showing some thirteenth century villagers executing the evil Templar Knights, by burning out their eyes with torches, and then burning them at the stake. Fast forwarding to the present day, and the village is preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary marking the Templars execution with a huge festival, unaware that their festivities are about to receive some rather grisly gate-crashers.

As the town party gets into full swing, the skeletal Templar Knights (the Blind Dead) rise from their graves and advance on the town. The subsequent mayhem that ensues provides some of the film's more gripping moments, as the Blind Dead carve their way through the town on their zombie horses, and the lead character Jack (Tony Kendall) tries to organise the villagers to fight back, using pitchforks, blow torches and even some high power explosives.

In the end Jack and his girlfriend Vivienne, along with the town mayor and a small group of locals (including the town loony, Murdo, who seems to know more than he's letting on) are forced to hold up inside the town church. Only to face a "Night of the Living Dead" style siege against the Blind Dead, who quickly close in from all sides...

Arguably the best of DeOssorio's quartet of "Blind Dead" films, with the Templars given maximum on-screen time. If you enjoyed the original, you will also undoubtedly enjoy this. The version reviewed here is the dubbed English language version, as this was the only version available at the time, but I would recommend also watching the original Spanish language print, as it contains additional gore scenes that were removed from the English version by the Director.

Overall Marks : 6/10.

Terrifying Trivia

• There were 2 different versions of this film made by the director. The dubbed English version was stripped of virtually all it's gore for the export market, however the original Spanish language version , entitled "El Ataque De Los Muertos Sin Ojos'" was uncut. As well as containing some additional dialogue scenes, which ran some 3 minutes longer than the English language prints. The English language print also removed a scene showing a woman being sacrificed and tacked it onto the intro.
• Although supposedly set in a different location, the scenes of the old Monastery where Blind Dead are buried were filmed at the same derilict Monastery featured in the first film, namely the Santa Maria La Real de Valdeiglesias Monastery in Pelayos de la Presa, Spain. In fact, the scenes of the Blind Dead rising from their graves just re-used footage from the first film.
• The original US DVD by Anchor Bay and Laserdisc by Elite, under the title "Return of the Blind Dead", was described as being uncut. But was of the shorter English language version.
• The town featured in the film was El Vellon, located in Madrid, Spain.
• The original UK video by Redemption films was of the English language version, which was then cut further by the BBFC who removed a 6s shot of one of the Templars tearing away a woman's dress, revealing her breast. Redemption also released the English language version in Holland, in which this scene was left intact. The version released by Anchor Bay in 2005 was left intact by the BBFC.
• Up until 2005 the full uncut Spanish version was VERY difficult to obtain, as numerous European releases had parts trimmed or removed by the various film censors. Blue Underground managed to obtain an uncut print of the full Spanish version which they released in the US and by Anchor Bay in the UK in 2005.

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